Sam Fuld has avoided today’s arbitration deadline and agreed to a 1-year, $725,000 contract with the Rays (via Marc Topkin). Fuld had been projected to make $500,000 through arbitration.

Topkin is also reporting that Ryan Roberts and Matt Joyce have reached deals, but details on their contracts are not yet available.

[UPDATE] Topkin is reporting Joyce agreed to a 1-year, $2.45 million deal and Roberts will sign a 1-year, $2.95 million contract. Joyce was projected at $2.6 million and Roberts was expected to received $3.0 million through arbitration.

Baseball has let the union mess them up so bad. Had can Roberts make more than Joyce? Such a joke. BUt... whatever, I am glad they are all signed. Now they have the freedom to deal and sing players as they see fit.

I'm really hoping Joyce steps us his game and the Rays need him too. He's shown flashes of how good he can be, the guy was an all-star in 2011. Joyce need to iron it inconsistencies at the plate and provide a more reliable bat that the Rays can count on.

On a team with a payroll as low as the Rays' it seems foolhardy to me to pay Ryan Roberts 3 million. I'm not shocked but marginally surprised that the Rays dished out the dough... yes, I'm aware that its probably not as cut and dry as it sounds thanks to the CBA, but 3 million for a marginal player seems skewed for a small market team.

Coming into last year we thought we were anchored at 3rd and questionable at SS and needed some help at 2nd. So we had SRod (SS and 3rd) and EJ (SS and 2nd) as backups.

This year we seem solid at SS and need definite help at 3rd and questionable at 2nd. Zobrist/Roberts is planned for 2nd and Longo/ Roberts at 3rd. So SRod will be the backup SS and can play some hot corner in a pinch but i prefer Roberts.

Until inevitably somebody goes down and we are SOL heheh.

So EJ is the odd man out and I will like our infield better than last years.